ESL Saigon

Am I too old to teach ESL abroad

At some point in life, each of us start asking ourselves if we are still young enough for doing certain things, such as teaching English abroad. Many people find teaching English abroad a very exotic thing, others consider it an adventure and others see it just a way of earning easy money.

This industry attracts thousands of prospective teachers of English, mainly in Asia, who want to know what the requirements for finding a teaching job abroad are. One of the questions that I am always asked is:

“Am I too old to teach English abroad?”

The short answer is “No, you are not”. Although, I don’t expect an 85 year old man to find a teaching English job in Asia, I don’t think it is impossible. However, here I am talking about those who are in their 50’s, with no teaching experience, and want to try teaching English abroad so, this article is for those who are wondering if they are too old to teach ESL in Vietnam.

Of course, Vietnamese schools, like all other schools in Asia, are looking for candidates from English speaking countries (mainly the USA), with “big nose”, “white skin”, “blue eyes”, and “young and good looking”. However, during my time in Vietnam, I have met countless number of English teachers who were over 50 years old and they had very little “problems” finding a teaching job because of their age.

Although I am pretty sure some of them encountered some problems finding a job, most of them could find a job easily. It might take a little longer for them than for a young one but definitely an over 50 year old man can find a teaching English job.

So, regardless your age, if you are enthusiastic about teaching English abroad, you are most likely to find the right job for you. Definitely, don’t let your age to keep you away from teaching English abroad.